Beautiful Dreamer
by greywings2
Summary: Some say the the dream of a child is nothing but a chaotic mess of colors and random shapes. Other's say it is an unlimited marvel to true life. A job in which Arthur must go into the dream of a child to find and save the boy's younger sister before it's too late. Set before Inception. An event that shapes Arthur's view on dreams and the wonder that they bring.


This was originally supposed to be a short drabble for Through-Dreams-I-Wander when I made a comment about it on tumblr. And...it somehow escalated into THIS. Well, I hope you guys like it. No Beta, so all mistakes are my own. Enjoy!

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Beautiful Dreamer

"What you're asking for does have risks, Mr. Klass."

The steady, electronic beeps created a background melody in the almost too sterile room. White gleamed off the clean, hospital walls, possibly as a way of giving comfort to the patients in it. Arthur could never truthfully understand that, though. All he ever thought about when seeing white walls was the contrasting effect of blood being on them. Needless to say, his experiences with medical areas were not exactly sunshine and rainbows.

"This procedure has never been tested on a child before," The Point man continued, attempting to get the man in front of him to completely understand the situation. "We can't be sure of the effects that this will have on your son."

A man, somewhere in his late thirties, dressed in an impressive Italian cut suit, simply narrowed his eyes in response to Arthur warnings. Mr. Klass was the head of a manufacturing company in Massachusetts. Recently, he had gotten a divorce from his wife and had gotten custody of his two children. The wife was an abuse drug addict who Mr. Klass claimed had gone crazy after the divorce had been finalized. In a fit of rage the woman had kidnapped the two children, Roxanne and Gabriel. After weeks of searching, the police had finally been able to catch a lead on the family. They had broken into the apartment they were living in, but the mother grabbed the children and ran out from the balcony.

Police accounts stated that the mother was holding onto the youngest, Roxanne, in her arms, leaving the older child to run behind them. They were in such a panic that when crossing the street they failed to even look at their surroundings. Although the wife and Roxanne had barely avoided being hit by an oncoming car, Gabriel had not been so lucky. The young boy was struck by the vehicle, the mother screaming in terror. Of course, the cops had quickly surrounded the boy and taken him to the hospital. The mother and little sister had continued to run away during the commotion.

Now, the boy was here. Ten years old with a broken leg, three cracked ribs, and a wicked bruise on his head. He was alive though, but unconscious. That did not mean, however, that his mind was silent.

Mr. Klass still needed to know the location of his wife and daughter. Gabriel had the information locked away in his brain, just ready to picked. They couldn't wait for Gabriel to wake up, and there was no guarantee that he would even voluntarily tell them his mother's whereabouts. He loved her, after all.

That was where Arthur was needed. Of course, this was the usual job. He hadn't been lying when he'd said Dreamscape hadn't been tested on children. Their minds were so fresh, easily molded, easily influenced. Easily damaged. Arthur couldn't treat this like a regular job. Gabriel's very mind was at stake here, but so was his sister. They needed to find them before the mother left went somewhere Gabriel didn't know about or couldn't be traced. They were running out of time.

Arthur wouldn't be able to place Gabriel into a dream that the Point man created. There was no way to guess how his subconscious would react to such a new environment when his own brain wasn't fully developed. As such, Arthur himself would have do something he wasn't very fond.

He would have to enter Gabriel's dream.

Now, Gabriel's mind may not like the intrusion, but the little boy had never been mentally trained to keep others out. Why would he? He was just a kid, after all.

Still, it didn't sit well with Arthur. Not in the slightest.

"Mr. Darling," The father began, patience obviously extinguished by this point in time. "My daughter is out there, somewhere, with her deranged mother. I want my child back. And you are the only one who seems to not be in favor of that."

"Mr. Klass, I'm just warning you, there-"

"I don't care about the risks!" Mr. Klass exclaimed, his face turning a shade of red in his fury. Arthur tensed, but otherwise retained a look of complete calm.

"Just get the location. Now!"

With a small, internal sigh, Arthur gripped onto the metal briefcase tightly before setting it down on the floor next to the hospital bed. He took a seat on the too white chair, gazing intensely at the other male, not once breaking the stare.

"Very well then."

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

It was freezing.

He was standing in the middle of a field of white, gleaming grass. The ground reflected so brightly off the shining sun Arthur had to take a few moments to get his eyes adjusted. For miles there seemed to be nothing but this unusual albino field, laying perfectly with the abundantly blue sky. No clouds, not even a wisp of one. Though, strangely could not pin point the location of the sun. It was simply….blue.

"Who are you?"

Arthur turned around quickly to the source of the voice, surprised to have not felt the presence of whoever it was sooner. The Point man had to take a step back, turning too fast and having the brightness of the grass catching his eyes.

There, not but three feet away from him, was Gabriel.

The young boy looked up at him, his deep green eyes studying him like a child usually does. Curiously. Innocently. And honestly, blindly.

Gabriel's red shirt was a stark contrast to all this white, and Arthur was vaguely reminded of the hospital room which they resided in in reality. The boy tilted his head to the side slightly; curly, brunette hair moving as he did so. He lifted his right hand to his long sleeved shirt, grabbing the very front of the fabric, almost absent-mindedly. He was still starring, waiting for an answer.

"I'm Arthur," The Point man replied, for some reason not wishing to lie to this child. Maybe it was the eyes. He had always been a sucker for eyes.

The kid regarded him for a second before holding out his hand to the older man. "Gabriel," he said, though the look in his eyes was still a bit wary. "But you should call me Gabe."

Arthur quickly took hold of the child's hand, shaking it lightly. "Alright, Gabe it is," The Point man answered before letting the hand slip out of his grasp. An awkward silence surrounded them then, neither sure how to respond to the other's presence.

"You're not from here, are you?" Gabe eventually asked, shifting his feet a bit as he did so.

"That depends. Where is 'here'?"

"Emoh. Just outside of it, actually."

"Then you're right, I'm not from here."

"That's okay. You'll like Emoh. Everybody does."

Hesitation plagued the Point man. If Gabriel were an adult, he'd assume this 'Emoh' was a trap of some kind. The child did not seem hostile, however, or even a little scared. Just curious. Just wondering.

"Could you take me there, Gabe?"

"Sure," Gabriel replied, shrugging his shoulders as he suddenly started to walk passed the older male. Arthur's eyes immediately trailed to the boy's feet, stunned. The white grass broke as Gabe moved, almost like glass. Upon closer inspection though, the Point man could only stare as the grass broke into fluffy looking particles.

Snow.

The grass was sculpted snow.

Arthur gazed on as Gabriel continued to walk away, breaking the grass as he went. The child stopped shortly, turning around to look at him questioningly. With a start, the Point man began to move as well, the snow crunching over his feet as he did so. He soon caught up to the boy, who seemed pleased by his decision to finally follow.

Gabe grabbed onto the front of his shirt once more and they started their journey out from the field of glass snow.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

The snow grass steadily began to disperse as they continued walking forward. Surprisingly, although the temperature heated up, the snow did not melt into water. It simply disappeared. Even for a dream it was puzzling.

"Why were you out there?" Arthur asked, destroying the surprisingly comfortable silence that had settled around them.

Gabriel lifted his head up towards the sky, pondering it seemed. "I was waiting for something."

"For what?"

"I wasn't sure when I got there. You, I guess."

Their conversation ended after that. Arthur was too afraid it would somehow cause the dream to collapse. The kid's mind was obviously already being affected. How else would one explain this…strange place.

Soon the snow grass disappeared completely, leaving only the natural, green grass in its wake. Arthur could just make out the tops of what appeared to be buildings of sorts in the distance. Suddenly they were walking on a stone road, though Arthur couldn't honestly remember when it had started. As they began to get closer to this 'Emoh' place, the Point man had to slow down because what greeted him was something he had never seen before.

Emoh was a town.

A vast array of colors flood his sight right off the bat. They engulfed each and every shop, home, and street lamp with a mixture of patterns he wasn't aware existed. The buildings were made of materials what would never hold up in reality. Silver, paper, silk, even rope was the main construction the town, twisting and turning the structures into odd and impossible shapes. Doors were made of bubble wrap. The windows opened in pieces. All the while the stone road went through the entire town, as if it were the only thing keeping the place upright somehow.

But what impressed Arthur most was the people.

They were just as colorful, if not more so, as the buildings around them. A woman passed by them, waving to Gabriel, wearing a coat made entirely of teeth. Arthur noticed a blue skinned man on a ladder, diligently painting a pair of windows with a checkered pattern. Each and every individual was completely unique, none looking the same physically or even wearing clothing that was made out of the same material.

Each and every person was smiling, some even laughing. Children ran through the streets and not a single adult looked on in disapproval. An older woman was passing out spotted, glass flowers, the receivers thanking the woman and bowing slightly in return. Arthur could make out bakeries, shops, and other job establishments where no one seemed to be anything other than happy.

"Mail for you, sir."

Arthur stopped in shocked, being too consumed in his surroundings and not paying as much attention as he should. An unusually tall man with red skin and a blue mustache had made his way in front of them. He wore what appeared to be a mail carrier's uniform, though since it was made out of Styrofoam he couldn't be truly sure. The man simply smiled at the two, his green eyes twinkling as he held out two letters, giving one to Gabriel and the other to him. The Point man took the envelope hesitantly before nodding his head as a thank you.

Before either male could say anymore, the man was off, digging out letters from the sack around his waist and them out other people he passed by.

"Who-" Arthur started to ask but was quickly interrupted.

"Oh that's just Martin. He gives out mail to people. It doesn't actually say anything."

"But why?"

Gabriel gave him a funny look, as if the answer was obvious. "Everybody likes getting mail."

They passed through multiple shops and homes, each more twisted and colorful than the next. A pink haired girl stopped them at one point, giving Gabriel a quick kiss on the cheek before quickly rushing off in her gold, ribbon dress. The boy had flushed as red as his shirt, and even though Arthur had not said anything in response, Gabe had loudly told him to 'shut up' before they trekked on.

If Arthur had to guess, they were at the edge of the town now. It was honestly hard to make heads or tails of the place, though for some reason it didn't make him uncomfortable in slightest. That in itself was strange, considering he usually preferred to know what exactly was going on his whatever world he was in.

Gabriel suddenly came to a halt, rushing into the shop nearest to them without a word. Arthur followed without question, taking note that the entire building consisted of duct tape. The shop appeared to be some sort of blacksmith's workplace. Swords decorated the walls, ranging from all sizes imaginable. One seemed to be as big as Arthur himself, while another could only be used for someone as small as an ant. The Point man quickly prayed there were no intelligent ants in this world.

"Ah, Gabe! How ya doin', rocket?"

A man appeared suddenly from behind a large, bubble wrap door from the back of the shop. He was large, muscular with tattoos around his neck. Unlike the other people Arthur had seen before hand, this man had white skin that would be seen in reality, with baby blue eyes as well. This must have been someone the boy actually knew.

Gabriel smiled up at the male, shrugging his shoulders. "Alright. I found a stranger, I'm showing him around."

"Are you now?" The man asked, finally looking up to gaze at Arthur. He seemed to study him for a brief second before walking up to the Point man, his arms opened wide. "Well, welcome to Emoh, brother! Good to have ya!" Before Arthur could even flinch he was wrapped up in huge, muscled arms and held tightly. He awkwardly attempted to pat the man's back, but to no avail.

Finally, the man seemed to be done hugging Arthur as he laughed heartily, clapping him on the shoulder. "I hope my rocket's been a good tour guide to ya. He's a bit empty headed at times, ya see."

"Am not!" Gabriel quickly protested, a childish pout gracing his face.

"He's a fast piece o' work too. S'why I call him 'rocket', ya see."

"Clever," Arthur murmured, smiling a bit at the other man.

"Name's Drake, brother. What's yours'?"

"Arthur."

The man's, Drake's, eyes widened a fraction then, his body tensing. Noticing the reaction, Arthur quickly tightened his hands, preparing for any sort of violent retaliation. He hadn't gotten much trouble from projections as of yet, but that could easily change.

Drake gazed at him for a few more seconds before coughing slightly and turned back to Gabriel. "Hey, rocket, I need ya to do something for me?"

"What?" The boy asked, having been starring at the swords on the walls. His attention was mostly fixated on the one that was made out of gumdrops.

"I need you to go get me some supplies for the forest. Couple strips of bark, maybe a diamond or two, that sort o' thing."

Gabriel turned to look at the other man before shrugging his shoulders again. "Okay, sure," He replied, regretfully leaving the gumdrop sword behind.

"Take Arthur with you. He can reach the trees better."

"Gotcha."

The boy gave the sword one last look before exiting the shop. Arthur turned to leave as well, but a large hand grabbing onto his wrist kept him from completing the action. Drake stared at his heatedly, biting his lip ever so slightly, as if he wanted to scream out to the other man. Instead, he settled on a whisper.

"Be careful with him. Please."

Arthur could do nothing but gaze at the man then. His eyes held knowledge, understand, even worry. Something a projection should not have. Drake seemed almost haunted.

The Point man licked his lips, his mouth suddenly dry. This was not a warning or even a threat. It was a plea.

"I will."

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

The forest, much like the rest of place, was completely overwhelmed by bright colors. The grass remained green, but the leaves in the trees ranged anywhere from purple to dark orange. Instead of fruit, objects hung from the branches, falling if they got too heavy. Pink trees with snow globes. A bush covered with bottle caps. Arthur had stopped trying to make sense of it all.

Though, he supposed, there was a certain charm to the area.

Animals roamed the land, surprisingly unafraid of their presence. A few animals he recognized, but most of the creatures had been altered in some way or form. Whether it was an extra tail or a spotted coat, none were ever completely normal.

"What is normal, anyway?" Arthur muttered to himself, eyes scanning the admittedly gorgeous forest.

They stopped at a blue tree after a few minutes, Sam placing the bucket down he had gotten from the back of Drake's shop. Looking up, Arthur could see diamonds glittering in the branches, as if that were truly where the valuable rocks had always belonged.

Reaching up, having to balance on his tip toes, the Point man was able to grab a small diamond from a low branch.

"Will this one do?" Arthur asked, giving the object to Gabriel. The boy examined the diamond, scrunching up one eye, before nodding his head and placing it in the bucket. "We need a lot more."

They continued to break off the diamonds from the branches, dropping each and every one into the bucket. Was there really a 'bad' diamond after all. Eventually Gabriel suggested they get the bigger ones higher up in the tree. Arthur propped the kid on his back, the boy using his shoulders as a ladder.

Suddenly, as Arthur held a rather large diamond in his hand, a soft voice whispered to him, _"You're so beautiful."_

Arthur jerked back in response, almost losing his balance and sending Gabriel crashing to ground. He quickly grabbed hold of the kid again, though, and reset his footing. His sharp eyes scanned the area sharply, looking for the voice that had been so close to his ear.

Nothing.

Not even a mutated squirrel.

"_You have such mesmerizing eyes."_

"Who's there?" Arthur questioned, his grip tightening on the boy as the situation seemed to turn more dangerous with each surprising compliment.

"_Your voice is like music."_

"I said who's there?" The Point asked louder this time, frowning when the perpetrator continued to not show themselves.

"Why are you yelling at it?" Gabriel suddenly questioned, leaning down a bit to stare at the older man.

"Yelling at _what_, exactly?" Obviously the boy knew something he didn't. He really should stop being so surprised.

"The flower," The child answered, pointing to the right side of the point man.

There, curling on the bark of the tree, was a small, pink flower. The planet had traces of purples spirals dancing on the petals and making a trail down into the center. The petals themselves were coated with fuzz, and Arthur barely held back a gasp as a leaf on the stem literally waved at him.

"A flower is hitting on me. Great."

"Nah, it's just being nice," Gabe said before reaching up and grabbing a particularly high diamond.

"Why would a flower be nice to me?"

Again Gabriel paused and looked down at the Point man. Why did the child always seem to gaze at him with such confusion? As if there was something so simple about the world that he just wasn't getting?

"Flowers aren't suppose to be mean. They're meant to make people smile. Everybody knows that."

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

They continued their diamond collecting for a good hour before Arthur's shoulders couldn't take anymore. Gabriel had nodded his head toward the bucket, saying that they had gotten a good amount anyway. Now they rest, their backs leaning against a spotted tree trunk. A few flying, miniature horses greeted them, Gabe letting one onto the palm of his hand for a few minutes before it eventually flew away.

"Emoh…it's 'Home' spelled backwards," Arthur mumbled suddenly, realization hitting him like an eighteen wheeler.

Gabriel gazed at the other male before shaking his head lightly. "No. Emoh _IS_ home."

The Point man paused at that. It was such a trivial sentence but for some reason it held so much meaning. This place was the heart of a child. Gabriel's heart.

Suddenly Arthur felt a quick pressure on his arm from a small hand. Looking up, he saw the boy getting up from his place on the ground and running through the trees. "You're it, dummy!" Gabe yelled back towards the other, a pure smile on his face.

Arthur hesitated, in shock. He was too old for games. He hadn't played tag since he was a child himself. Still…

"You got a head start, but that's not going to do you any good, runt!" Arthur yelled back, a tiny laugh escaping as he got up to his feet and began chasing the younger boy around the woods.

Gabriel yelled out with unhidden glee as he ran from the bigger man, hiding behind trees when he could and using his knowledge of the forest to his advantage. Arthur followed the boy around for a good five minutes, Gabe surprisingly swift for someone his size. The Point man began laughing outright, his clothes becoming scuffed and torn. He found himself not caring.

The kid made his way behind a purple tree, clamping his hands to his mouth to stop himself from giggling too loudly. He sneakily looked out to see how far the other was, but was surprised to find him nowhere in sight. Gabriel frowned. Where had Arthur gone?

He didn't have time to ponder the thought long as suddenly two arms swept him off his feet. Gabe cried out, laughing as Arthur scooped him up into his arms, yelling out a quick 'Gotcha!' before both males tumbled to the ground.

They were both breathing heavily, laughter still coming from their mouths even as they tried to calm down. Arthur let Gabriel out of his arms so he could lie down in the grass beside him. The boy continued smiling, looking up at the once too blue sky that had now become perfect to the Point man.

He grabbed onto the front fabric of his shirt, something akin to peace on his face. Arthur looked down at the boy, still breathing hard but now studying him. He'd seen that movement before. Many times if he was not mistaken.

"Why do you do that," Arthur asked, breaking the calm melody of their breaths.

"Do what?"

"Why do you hold your shirt like that?"

Gabriel looked down at his shirt, his hands suddenly tightening. "No reason," The boy responded, turning slightly so he was not fully facing the other anymore.

Arthur began to protest, but stopped short, noticing something.

The sky…it was getting darker.

Sitting up slowly, the Point man gazed on with wide eyes as the once blue sky was transforming into a dark gray within seconds. The air seemed to have a certain dead chill to it now, wind blowing harder than it had before. Animals began to run up into trees, someone sprinting pass them without regard. Arthur got up from his spot on the floor, trying to figure out the situation.

"He's back," Gabriel muttered, getting up from the ground as well. He'd never seen such a dejected look on the child's face before.

"Who?"

The boy remained silent, gripping onto the front of his shirt for a second before placing his hand to his side.

"I have to go," Gabe murmured, turning away from the other without another word.

"Gabe, wait," The Point man hissed, grabbing onto the boy's shoulder. The kid looked up at the older male, the gleam he had seen in his eyes once now gone. What could make this happy little boy so frightened? Arthur had to find out. He would not leave him alone like this.

"I'm coming too."

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

They made their way out of the forest, quickly and quietly. The once green grass began to disappear much like the snow had, replace by hard, gray rock. In fact, most things were gray now. Everything seemed to be devoid of color; such a stark contrast from the bright surroundings he had become use too.

No flowers. No animals. No people.

No life.

Just gray, sharp, ugly rock.

Arthur had placed his hand on the boy's back, who was being tenser by the second. Soon they came up to a small hill, the sky seeming to be the darkest right above the end. Gabriel slowed down slightly, but continued on never the less. It seemed far too soon, but they had gotten over the hill quickly, much to the Point man's display.

What he saw made him stop cold.

"….Mr. Klass?"

There, in the middle of a barren field of rock, was the boy's father. Dressed impeccably as ever, he almost seemed to blend in with his surroundings. Arthur vaguely noticed that behind Mr. Klass was a cliff of sorts, more than likely a death sentence if one were to fall. A smile rose to the man's face, but it seemed far from pleasant. It's was devilish.

"Gabriel, son, come here," Mr. Klass said, ignoring Arthur. His words felt like poison. The man had his arms opened wide, and the Point man vaguely thought of Drake. Only, this was the exact opposite of a loving embrace.

The boy looked up at Arthur before slowly making his way to his face. Arthur's hand unconsciously reached out for the child, but he forced himself to not follow.

Mr. Klass continued to smile, now more close to a sneer, as the boy settled right in front of him. He placed his hands on Gabe's shoulders, grip a little too tight to be comfortable.

"Now, Gabriel, where have you been?"

Gabe paused, swallowing slightly in fear. True, unhidden fear.

"I-I was at Emoh."

Mr. Klass's expression instantly darkened. He dug his fingers into the boy's shoulders, Gabe wincing as he did so.

"Now," The man seethed. "What have I told you about going to that place, hm?"

Gabriel was silent, avoiding his father's gaze and looking down at the ground. This was obviously the wrong choice of action because the man suddenly started to shake the boy's shoulders furiously.

"What have I told you, Gabriel?" Mr. Klass practically yelled, his eyes seeming to burn.

Arthur let his hand rest on his hip, feeling the outline of the gun underneath his shirt. His gaze did not waver between the two.

"Not to-to go there."

"That's right. So why did you disobey me?"

Gabriel couldn't answer. Anything he said at this point wouldn't help him. Nothing would when his father got to this point. When his father got angry.

Mr. Klass scoffed at the silent child, gritting his teeth.

"You're just like your bitch of a mother. Never obeying me. Thinking she can do what she wants. I make the rules, _boy_, and you follow them. If you're going to act like that whore you're going to be punished like her!"

The Point man heard the slap against flesh before he saw the deed. Gabriel was on the side on the ground, a hand cradling his face. He curled into a ball. Terrified.

Arthur wasn't sure when he moved, but suddenly he was in front of Mr. Klass. Punching him directly in the face.

Mr. Klass stumbled, clearly in shock before coming back to himself and shouting out in anger. His fist connect with Arthur's jaw, forcing the Point man down to the ground. Arthur vaguely heard the clatter of his gun skidding across the floor and he cursed internally.

He did not have time to dwell on this loss, however, as Mr. Klass was suddenly on top of him, smashing his face with his fists. Arthur eventual came back to himself and gripped onto the other's wrists, using his hips to flip them over. had apparently predicted the move and they continued to tumble over.

Arthur got a few more punches in, adding damage to the other man. Mr. Klass spit in his face as he finally managed to pin the Point man to the ground, his saliva red with blood. Arthur attempted to buck the other man off of him, but his strength was ridiculous in this world and his head was being to spin from being knocked in so many times.

They were close to the edge now, dangerously so. Just a few more steps and they'd be meeting their maker soon enough. Arthur's thoughts were cut off though as something shiny captured his attention.

Mr. Klass had pulled out a knife from his back pocket. His arms were currently raised and aiming directly for the Point man's heart. Arthur had never seen such a malicious smile.

A loud crackled greeted his ears, causing him to gasp in surprise.

Mr. Klass stared down at the Point man, though he wasn't truly looking at him. His eyes held nothing but horrified shock. Slowly, the man lowered his arms and placed a hand to his chest. It was only then that Arthur noticed the blood.

Gingerly, Mr. Klass looked away from Arthur and gazed to the side. The Point man quickly did the same, not expecting the sight before him.

There, the gun shaking in his hands, was Gabriel. His eyes flowed with tears, and Arthur could hear the soft sounds of small hiccups. He did not, however, stop aiming towards his father.

Suddenly Mr. Klass let got up from his position, still starring at his boy. His movements were sluggish and uncoordinated, nearly losing his balance. Blood started to slip from the man's lips as he began to back up. He parted his mouth several times, but no sound came out. He took another step back, only inches away from the edge.

"Gabriel…"

Time stopped.

Mr. Klass fell from the ledge and out of sight.

Arthur took a few stuttered breaths, getting air back into his lungs. The second he heard a 'thud' he was scattering to get on his feet in seconds.

Gabriel, still holding the gun, had promptly fallen to the ground. He made no sound, just stood there starring at the place his father had been only moments ago. Arthur rushed to the boy grabbing onto his arms as lightly as he could. The Point man gazed at the child's face, horrified. A bruise could be seen beginning to form, but the worst part was the look in the boy's eyes. Complete and utter terror.

"Gabe, Gabe listen to me."

No response.

"Gabe, he deserved it. It's okay."

A slight twitch of fingers. The gun was still in his hand.

"Gabe-"

A loud crash thunder drowned out his voice. Arthur looked up in horrified surprise. The sky was becoming pitch black, lightning and thunder decorating it cruelly. The wind began to pick up, becoming harsh to the skin. It sounded like screams.

The dream was crashing.

Without thinking, Arthur gathered the boy up into his arms.

"It's okay, Gabe. Everything's gonna be okay. I'm here. I'm not gonna leave you," Arthur whispered into the young boy's ear.

Gabriel tensed, remaining silent.

The Point man backed up slightly, still not letting the child out of his arms. He stared into his kid's eyes, unwavering.

"I'm not gonna leave you."

The gun clanked to the ground.

In that moment, even though the wind still howled furiously and the lightning danced in the sky, it was as if they were the only beings in existence at that moment. Arthur was aware of the disaster going on around them, but he could no longer hear it. Only a peaceful silence surrounded them.

Slowly, still twitching, Gabriel grasped his hands to the front of his shirt. This time, though, he reached inside and very carefully pulled out a golden chain.

A locket.

"You want this," The boy whispered, his voice sounding shattered. "I know you want this, but I don't know why."

The information.

The location of Gabriel's sister.

It was all in that locket.

The child pulled the necklace over his head and held it out in front of the Point man. It somehow still shined in the growing darkness.

"Here."

Arthur's hands were shaking now, though he was unsure why. Gently, he took the locket into his hands, his eyes never leaving the boy as he did so.

"I'll see you soon, Gabe."

"Promise?"

"Promise."

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Arthur's eyes blinked open rapidly, the too white hospital walls being the first thing to greet him. The second was the steady beeping of Gabriel's heart monitor.

"Well, did you get?"

The third being Mr. Klass' disgusting voice.

"Yeah…yeah, I got," Arthur replied, his own voice a bit sluggish. He began to unhook the IV from himself and the boy, a bit hurried in his actions. After all, if the information was right they were on a time crunch.

"And?" Mr. Klass asked impatiently, making the Point man's stomach turn in abhorrence.

Slowly, Arthur got up from the chair, rolling his shoulders.

"I'll be sure if give your wife your regards."

Mr. Klass barely had time to look confused before a powerful fist met his face. The man fell down onto the tile floor instantly, cracking his head as he did so. Arthur wished for nothing more than to give the guy a few more happy bruises, but resisted the urge in favor and retrieving Gabriel.

Arthur quickly began to remove the hospital IVs and wires, knowing he only had a limited amount of time before security was either eventually called or a nurse showed up. He lifted the boy into his arms carefully, mindful of his broken leg.

Looking out into the hallway, the Point man thanked God for it being clear. Looked like the 'money buying privacy' thing was working in his favor. Arthur didn't waste time and hurriedly went to the back exit stairs, hopping he didn't run to anyone along the way.

As the Point man made his way down the steps, he almost tripped when a soft whimper came from the boy. Arthur gazed down at the child in his arms, shocked. Gabriel's eyes, barely open, stared back at him.

"…Arthur?" his broken voice asked.

"Told you I wasn't gonna leave."

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Gabriel's mother, Katie, had been hidden with her daughter at her boyfriend Drake's house. They had been planning to kidnap the boy from the hospital, even knowing the risks and the likely hood of getting caught.

"I just couldn't leave him there with that monster," Katie had told him, thankful tears still in her eyes.

Mr. Klass had abused his wife since the beginning of their marriage. Katie had dealt with the violence for the sake of her children, wanting them to be a family. Nevertheless, her husband's rage only grew in intensity and he began to beat his kids as well. Especially Gabriel. That had been the final straw and Katie had applied for divorce.

Unfortunately, money could buy many things, and a judge's decision was one of them. Mr. Klass had paid the judge and his twisted lawyer to make it seem that Katie was an abusing drug addict that was not fit to be with her kids.

Desperate, Katie had had no choice to kidnap her own children. Drake, a loving and caring man who thought of the kids as his own, had helped them evade police detection for months. Drake had been out to the market when the police suddenly barged in their temporary apartment. In a panic they had fled, and that's when Gabriel had been hit by the car. Katie had not wanted to leave her boy, but she knew they would be taken away as well if they did not continue to run. It had not been an easy choice to make.

Arthur listened to the story, promising not to disclose their location. Katie had burst into tears, hugging the Point man to her chest. As they embraced, Arthur felt a something familiar digging into his skin. Pulling back from the woman, he looked down gazed at a golden shine.

The locket, worn snuggly around the mother's neck.

With a promise that they would take Gabriel to the hospital in whatever town they stopped in, Arthur promptly left the house. It would be risky to see the boy again, the affects the experience had on his mind were still unclear after all. It was best to make him believe it was all just a dream.

A wondrous dream for a beautiful dreamer.


End file.
